In the early hours of Tuesday, the small mining town of Cobar in western New South Wales was struck by a devastating blow: two workers at the Endeavour Mine lost their lives when an explosion deep underground ripped through a routine night shift. Among them were 24-year-old Holly Clarke—beloved by her friends as someone who could brighten any room—and 66-year-old Patrick McMullen, a seasoned miner whose decades of experience underscored how fragile life in the depths of the earth remains.
The tragic sequence of events unfolded at around 3:45 a.m., when Clarke, McMullen and a 24-year-old colleague, Mackenzie Stirling, were working underground as part of the night shift to set explosive charges. For reasons still under investigation, the explosives detonated prematurely—before the workers could reach safety. McMullen was killed instantly. Clarke was brought to the surface but later died of her injuries. Stirling was airlifted to the Orange Health Service suffering hearing damage and shock; by Tuesday night she was listed in stable condition.
The mine is located about 40 km north of Cobar and is a major underground producer of silver, zinc and lead in Australia’s polymetallic region. The site had been placed into care and maintenance in 2020, acquired by Polymetals Resources in 2023 and resumed operations earlier this year. On the fateful night, approximately 30 workers were on the site’s night shift.
News of the explosion reverberated across the town’s tight-knit community. On social media, friends and colleagues of Holly Clarke posted heart-wrenching tributes: “My heart is so broken right now! I’ll never forget you or our days at Inland — you always brightened up a room when you walked in.” Another added, “She always had a smile on her face and could make anyone’s day.” Many changed their profile pictures to miners’ helmets captioned “In memory of our fallen miners.”
Jarrod Marsden, the Mayor of Cobar, described the catastrophe as “absolutely tragic,” adding: “The most valuable thing in a mine are the miners, and two families don’t get to see their loved ones anymore. Cobar is a small mining community… we’re smashed.”
In a joint statement, Chris Minns, Premier of New South Wales, and Courtney Houssos, Minister for Natural Resources, said the day was “heart-breaking” for the town and the mining industry. They emphasised that while safety protocols have improved, the incident is a stark reminder that the right to come home must always be upheld.
Meanwhile, regulators, including the NSW Resources Regulator and SafeWork NSW, have launched a thorough investigation into the cause of the uncontrolled detonation, with union officials suggesting a “catastrophic failure” of blasting systems. Mining operations at the site have been suspended pending the outcome.
As Cobar mourns, the loss of Holly Clarke and Patrick McMullen isn’t just counted in statistics—it’s felt deeply in every corner of the town: in the shared shifts, the lunchtime coffees, the friendly hellos across town. Their lives were not just defined by their work underground, but by the warmth and connection they brought to a community now left grieving.
